To apply for an L1 tourist visa to visit China you will require a completed visa application form that you can download from the embassy's website (See Resources), a passport that's valid for at least six more months and has at least one blank visa page, and a recent photo that's 2-by-2 square inches (either black and white or color is fine) attached to the application form.
The regulations are slightly different for certain visa applicants. First time applicants whose former nationality was Chinese must write their Chinese names on the application form and submit their original Chinese passports as well as a photocopy of the information page of the passport.
Applicants who were formerly Chinese, have acquired new U.S. passports and have had Chinese visas in their old U.S. passports must submit either these passports or a photocopy of their old Chinese visas.
Foreign visitors with a valid U.S. visa or foreign residents with legitimate status in the U.S. may be asked to provide the originals and photocopies of their U.S. Green Card, work permit, I-20 form, valid U.S. visa or other additional documents. These applications will be decided on a case-by-case basis.
U.S. citizens may apply for a single entry (valid for three to six months), double entry (valid for six months) or multiple entry (valid for six or 12 months) visa. Chinese-Americans born in China, including Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau, may apply for a multiple entry visa valid for 24 months, but will need to provide a photocopy of the personal information page of their passports. A foreign spouse or child of a Chinese citizen may apply for a multiple entry visa valid for 24 months, but will need to provide the original and a photocopy of the relevant marriage certificate, birth certificate, kinship certificate and other necessary documents.
Submit your application to the Visa Office of the Embassy or Consulate-General that holds consular jurisdiction over the state where you reside. If you can't get there in person you can entrust a friend of family member or hire a travel or visa agent to drop your application off for you. The Embassy has consulates in Washington, New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Houston. Check on the website to find which has jurisdiction over your area.
Visas are usually processed in 4 working days. Request express service for a turnaround of 2-3 working days, for an extra fee of $20 per visa, as of September 2010, or for emergencies choose the same day rush service, which will incur a fee of $30 per visa, as of September 2010. These should be submitted before 12.30 p.m. and can be collected between 2.30 and 3 p.m. that day.
You'll be required to pay at the time of your visa application visa. Visas for any length of time are charged at $130 apiece for American citizens, as of September 2010. Pay by Mastercard, Visa, money order, cashier's check or company check. The last three must be made out to Chinese Embassy. Cash and personal checks will not be accepted.
Your visa may be refused or delayed if your application form is not filled completely, correctly and legibly. You're advised to submit the application at least a month before the planned start of your trip. Visa officers make the final decision on validity, duration of stay and times of the visa, and they may ask you for additional information as well as the paperwork listed above. The Chinese government refuses entry to anyone suffering from mental illness, leprosy, AIDS, sexually transmitted diseases, contagious tuberculosis or other infectious diseases.
